1. Sherman Junior Hoops Youth Basketball

Sherman Junior Hoops recently completed another successful season of introducing basketball to first through fourth grade boys and girls in Sherman County. We focus on fundamentals and sportsmanship in building a foundation for playing and enjoying the game of basketball. During the months of January and February we offer the program on Saturday mornings. Sherman Junior Hoops is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and volunteers.

The organizers of Sherman Junior Hoops wish to congratulate the players and coaches of the Sherman Huskies State Champion Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team! We also wish to express our sincere appreciation to Coach Blevins and the seven members of his team who paid an unexpected, but welcome visit to one of our Junior Hoops sessions in early February. In spite of having a road game later in the day, the players spent over an hour demonstrating basketball techniques and assisting with the coaching of our first through fourth graders. Our Junior Hoopsters were excited to learn that many of this year’s players had also participated in Junior Hoops for one or more years when they were the same age. The generosity of Coach Blevins and his players is greatly appreciated.

Sherman Junior Hoops sponsorships are available for those interested in supporting the program. Those wishing to donate may send contributions to the Sherman County Athletic Foundation, P.O. Box 191, Moro, Oregon 97039.

We wish to thank our 2016 sponsors and volunteers for making this year’s program a success:

Kevin & Kathy McCullough

Kent & Melva Thomas

Robert S. Nisbet Construction

Sherman County Athletic Foundation

Bank of Eastern Oregon

Malcolm & Jean McKinney

Rick & Cindy Hayes

Leo & Krista Coelsch

Ron & Jolene Burnette

Lean To Broiler/Goose Pit Saloon

Patty Burnet

Richelderfer Air Service

DeGrange Construction

Sherman Farm Chemicals

Chris & Carrie Kaseberg

Sherman County School District

Larry & Sherry Kaseberg

Tom & Nancy McCoy

Pat & Lori Beers

John & Linda Krafsic

Dinty’s Market

Sherman County

Carrie Somnis

M.J. Walker

Paul Bish

Talese Slay

Ketchum Enterprises

Ron & Jenine McDermid

2. Oregon Agritourism Network Meeting, April 20

The Oregon Agritourism Network is a growing working group of farmers, ranchers, tour operators, agencies and associations with expertise and interest in developing Oregon as a premier travel destination for authentic agritourism experiences. These events are open to anyone interested in cultivating Oregon’s agritourism potential and developing this segment of the tourism industry. Network meetings rotate across the state to engage stakeholders from every corner of the state – you are invited to attend one or all of them. Light refreshments and beverages will be provided.

WHERE: SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road, Boardman, Ore. 97818

WHEN: Wednesday, April 20, 2016 | 1:00-5:00 p.m.

3. Raleigh T. Curtis Scholarships, Deadline April 1

4. Red Cross Assisting Goldendale Family after a House Fire

The American Red Cross Cascades Region is providing immediate emergency assistance for a Klickatat County, Wash. family after a single-family residential fire March 6 in the 1900 block of Washington Highway 142 in Goldendale. This fire displaced two adults, two children, and their four pets. The Red Cross provided assistance for temporary lodging, assistance to address immediate basic needs and information about recovery services.

The Red Cross advocates emergency preparedness and offers the installation of free smoke alarms in communities across Oregon and southwest Washington. Residents may call (503) 528-5783 or complete an online form at www.redcross.org/cascadeshfpc to schedule an appointment.

Know what to do before, during and after a home fire. Take a few moments to review your family’s exit plan should there be a fire in your home. This information, and more, is available at www.redcross.org or in a free Prepare! Resource Guide published by the American Red Cross Cascades Region. The guide can be downloaded at http://rdcrss.org/1zq8XW6.

5. Project Management Workshop Offered

Project Management – Planning and Managing Projects

CGCC is offering a new project management course this spring. Planning and Managing Projects introduces students to a flexible and systematic approach to Project Management (PM) applicable to a variety of project types. Students will learn traditional PM methods and software tools for planning, tracking, controlling, and communicating project tasks from inception to final delivery and closure.

The course will use in-person lectures to introduce the basic concepts of PM, the project life-cycle, and how to use common tools and methods including simple spreadsheets, Gantt charts, and slide presentations using free software. Students may choose to work individually or in teams to plan an actual project with coaching from the instructor.

While the course material is grounded in the best-practices of the Project Management Institute (PMI), this course is designed for students with a wide range of project interests and is not a preparation course for the PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification examination.

Classes meet Fridays for five weeks, beginning April 1, from 9- noon at the CGCC Hood River campus. Cost of the course is $129, which does not include the required textbook. Pre-registration is required by calling the college at (541) 506-6011.

6. FBI Statement on Officer Involved Shooting March 8, 2016

On January 26, 2016, along Highway 395 in Harney County, Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers and FBI agents put themselves in harm’s way as part of the effort to bring the situation at the refuge to an end peacefully. I can assure that no one, from the Director of the FBI down to each and every employee who was working in Harney County, wanted this situation to end in violence or death.

However, Mr. Finicum chose to break the law, put other people’s lives in danger, and, as the investigation shows, provoke a confrontation with law enforcement. As the sheriff and DA have shown, the threat Mr. Finicum posed to OSP troopers and agents along Highway 395 on that day was real and imminent, and certainly justified the use of deadly force by law enforcement.

As you have heard today, the investigation conducted by the Tri-County Major Incident Team determined that OSP troopers fired three shots at Mr. Finicum’s vehicle as it approached the law enforcement barricade at a high rate of speed, the vehicle nearly hitting a law enforcement officer.Â The team also determined OSP troopers fired three additional shots that struck and killed Mr. Finicum as he reached for his weapon after exiting his vehicle.

The county’s investigation also indicated that, in between the two series of shots fired by OSP troopers, one, and possibly two, additional shots were fired by law enforcement as Mr. Finicum was exiting the vehicle after hitting the snow bank. As autopsy results confirm, neither of these shots struck Mr. Finicum. The question of who fired these shots has not been resolved. Upon learning this, and given the FBI presence on scene, I immediately contacted our Inspection Division which notified the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General which is currently investigating this matter.

Because this is an ongoing matter, it would be inappropriate for me or anyone to speculate or comment further, but I can tell you that the FBI is fully cooperating with the Office of Inspector General.

Since January 2nd, the FBI has worked in partnership with Harney County and our law enforcement partners throughout the state to resolve the situation at the refuge. Since that time, hundreds upon hundreds of FBI employees traveled to Burns with the sole purpose of bringing this situation to a peaceful conclusion.

Working together with our partners, we have been able to do just that. The refuge is clear and will be re-opening soon. People who once feared for their safety are back in their homes. Those who chose to break the law will have their day in court. Life is not yet completely normal, but we are on the path to reconciliation and recovery.

8. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden’s Statement on Circumstances of Finicum’s Death

Bend– U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) today issued the following statement regarding the independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of LaVoy Finicum:

“This independent investigation gives us some answers to what happened, but leaves me disturbed and bewildered by the role of the FBI agents who are now under federal investigation themselves. Meanwhile, I will continue working with local officials to get results on the Steens Mountain fencing issue, federal reimbursement for the local policing costs, and to stop the monument designation in Malheur County, among other resource-related issues.”

9. Links

Note: We do not endorse any candidates. Rather, we are sharing what is being offered at this stage of the decision making process.